Cellular data and voice networks are made possible by transmitting data wirelessly using transceivers in a cellular device, such as a cell phone, and transceivers located on tall towers, commonly referred to as, “cell towers.” The transmission range for cellular devices and cell towers, however, is limited. The limited range is due to a number of factors including, but not limited to, the available frequency spectrum for cellular communications, transceiver size and power, battery power, and interference from other transmission. In addition, each cell tower has a finite bandwidth capacity.
As a result, cell towers must be placed throughout the coverage area to ensure that a user is always, or almost always, within range of a cell tower. In addition, the number of cell towers should be such that each cell tower has sufficient bandwidth to support the number and type of users in the area. Unfortunately, cell towers can be somewhat less than aesthetically pleasing. Thus, cell towers may be frowned upon in urban areas due to the number of people that see them and space constraints, among other things.
To this end, “stealth” cell towers have been invented that mimic trees, church steeples, and other structures. In this manner, cell towers can be installed, yet remain largely unnoticed. A cell tower disguised as a pine tree and installed in a stand of pine trees, for example, may be all but invisible to the casual observer.
To access the top of cell towers—for maintenance and repairs, for example—cell towers generally have climbing pegs, ladders, or other means for workers to manually climb the tower. Unfortunately, to remain stealthy, it is preferable that stealth cell towers do not have this feature because pine trees, for example, do not generally have climbing pegs. To access the top of a stealth cell tower, therefore, maintenance crews are generally required to bring in a cherry picker or crane to access the top of the cell tower.
Indeed, some cell towers can be 250 feet tall, or more. In addition, cell towers can be installed in inaccessible locations or in mountainous terrain. The cost to rent a crane that is large enough to reach these heights is considerable.